diy : bookmarks

An easy Friday afternoon project for you!

All you need to make a nice "corner cover" bookmark is: one paper bag, one pair of scissors and a book! I always liked the Paper Source bags I get with each purchase and this is a great way to enjoy them once I bring them home. Now, just to be fair, I can't take full credit for this idea. I saw it somewhere, but for the life me cannot remember where. I've been doing so much "research" lately in the area of design that it's all starting to blur together. So, if you happen to see it else where, let me know so that I can rightfully credit from where it came.




PS: It needs to be a bag that does not have a bottom. A simple bag with just two sides. Then just cut the corners of the bottom off how ever you'd like and slip your "corner" onto a page!

featuring : dogstardesign

| Rodney Davidson DOGSTAR Design |

My visit to the library last Saturday yielded some great books on design. While peering through numerous examples of branding, I came across the image above and thought it genius. Can you see the C and the A that stand for Cigar Aficionado? And yet, it's just a guy with a hat on, puffing away on his cigar. I love the simplicity of it. Clean, simple, clear design. I often strive for this but usually don't hit it on the mark as well as this does. DOGSTAR has some other great examples of design on their site. Like this one for a walk in clinic:

| Rodney Davidson DOGSTAR Design |

This one is amazingly subtle. Walk in. Okay, I get it, there are footprints. But look closer... do you see the "plus" sign in the middle that often stands for "hospital." That's the clinic part. I love how he used the negative space to convey the rest of the meaning. Brilliant!

Ironically enough, I went from reading through this book: "Business Graphics: 500 Designs That Link Graphic Aesthetic and Business Savvy"


to this posting by a friend this morning entitled, "Is Advertising Art?" What an interesting question to ponder. Especially in light of the fact that I'm trying to get ideas for a new brochure design for a client. And while of course I'd like to think of my work as "art" it also has a distinct purpose which is to "sell." In this specific case it's selling a service, hospice care, but it's still consumer based. It's not ars gratia artis (art for art's sake). It's trying to get something done, convey a message, invoke an action (in this instance hopefully choosing to go with this hospice over another). Is that art? I'm really not quite sure. It's hardly on the same lines as a Caravaggio painting or a Brancusi sculpture. But the most successful designs (or branding) make use of aesthetic elements in the best way, just like a good painting does. So maybe in the end they are based on the same set of "rules" but have a different purpose or intent.

Whew! That's enough deep thought for 8 in the morning. Thanks for letting me hash that out a bit with you. Now it is off to start my day!

lunch excursions

Typically during the lunchtime hours, one of two things happens for me. 1) I grab a quick bite and continuing working while I eat or 2) I go to the gym to workout, take a quick shower and rush back to keep working. Last evening I decided that I would take an actual lunch today and step out of the apartment for reasons other than the gym. (on a side note... if it weren't for the gym and church, I could go weeks without ever leaving our place, seriously - especially in the winter)

So today I will venture out into the heat wave of 38°F. Above freezing! Rejoice! Here's a list of my preplanned destinations:

1. Geppetto's Toy Box on Lake Street. This has become my favorite toy shop since we moved here. The owners are great and the selection is wonderful. It's full of European toys made from wood, building blocks, games that actually make you think and have a strategy, puzzles, dress up clothes... it's just great. I have my first baby shower on Saturday so I'm using that as an excuse to shop there and make a purchase for once. What do you get someone who is having twins that's not cheesy?



2. Possible stop at the library. I love my public library. On my list (yes, I like lists) of books to read, suggested by friends: a)Life Signs b) The Wisdom of Tenderness c) Each Little Bird that Sings d) Chasing Vermeer e) The Wright 3 note: the last 3 are children's books


3. Swing into Starbucks for a lovely afternoon pick me up of Apple Chai. Imagine apple cider with caffeine. I'm not usually a big fan of caffeine, I so rarely ingest it that when I do I feel like my mind is buzzing and I have a hard time staying in my seat, BUT... this is so delicious that I'm willing to take the chance.

4. Trader Joe's: we need milk.

Maybe I'll take my camera along and share my jaunt around town. We'll see. Either way, lunch time sounds lovely today.

another person has my job

Yet again, I found another person who unknowingly has my job. Well not MY current job, but the job I want, the job that would be just right for me. Last time it was the photographer from Philly. This time it's a gal who does "restaurant identity and food packaging." I know that doesn't really sound like much, but it basically means being the designer behind how the food is packaged and presented to the consumer. And doing the same for a restaurant (imagine interior designer + food). Making logos, coming up with a "brand look" for an item so that it is distinctive and easily recognizable in its own right.

Her name is Louise Fili. This is her site. And here are some samples of her work:




Plus, she teaches typography, her work is in the permanent collections of the Library of Congress and she also designs book jackets - need I say more? This woman is cool and I want her job. Oh, and I'm pretty sure she's got Italian roots.

For a sneak peek into her office check out design sponge.

brushing up on dorothea lange

Today I took a brief lunch break to briskly walk to the library and pick up the four books I'd put on hold Monday evening. It's getting quite chilly out. Tomorrow night M is accompanying me to a lecture on Dorothea Lange, given by her son (who was born in 1925, I might add) at the Museum of Contemporary Photography downtown. I forget how I stumbled upon it, but I realized it was free and quickly marked it on my calendar last month. I figure if we're going to live in the city, we better take advantage of all it has to offer or else I'll regret it once we're no longer here.

In case you need a refresher course on Dorothea Lange, she's most famous for her work during the depression of migrant farmers and their families. Remember seeing the one of the mother and children, aptly named Migrant Mother? That's her.

So tonight I will curl up with my books and brush up on DL before the lecture tomorrow evening! Fun!

PS: This is only serving to renew my love for black and white photography.
That and the fact that I took my Grandpa's old Minolta SRT-101 out today.
The click of the shutter and the manual advancing of film is such a delight! More on that later...

bookworm

today i decided to take a little break from work and walk to the public library to sign up for a library card. i was also hoping to find the book that my recently joined book club is reading. it's about an 8 minute walk down lake street to the library. it was quite pleasant out today and i quickly noted that i probably had on one layer too many. the library is three floors and quite lovely. i'll have to go back when i have more time to learn my way around. while they did not have a copy of the book i was looking for (they did in fact have two, just both checked out) i had to come home with something from my outing. after a brief perusal of the aisles on the third floor, i came home with these lovelies in the picture. due back on june 2nd. let's hope i get to them in time!